Get ready for a snowy weekend, North Idaho.

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a winter storm watch that will remain in effect from later this evening into Monday.

"Winter storm to bring heavy snow to the North Cascades, Northeastern Washington and North Idaho late Saturday night through Monday morning," the report states. The weather service is expecting the snow to possibly change to freezing rain in some areas later on Sunday evening and into Monday morning, then change to rain by Monday afternoon.

The NWS expects anywhere from 4-9 inches of snow in the valleys with 10-20 inches possible in the mountains. Affected locations include Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Hayden, Worley, Sandpoint and much of North Idaho and Eastern Washington.

The few inches that fell Friday morning into the afternoon kept first responders in the Idaho Panhandle busy.

"Our troops have been running from slideoff to slideoff," said Idaho State Police secretary Natalie Allred.

ISP Lt. Chris Schenck reported that ISP investigated 13 crashes between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday in the five northern counties with all wrecks involving property damage, but no injuries. The majority of calls came between 8-10 a.m., during the bulk of the snowfall. ISP received 19 calls in that time frame, including crashes, slideoff vehicles and motorist assists.

Allred said most of the crashes occurred in Kootenai, Bonner and Shoshone counties, but Schenck said there was no particularly bad area in North Idaho since crashes happened in all five counties. He reported some wrecks did occur on Interstate 90.

"I-90 between Washington state line and Coeur d'Alene has the most traffic and thus the greatest concentration of incidents," Schenck said.

The Coeur d'Alene Police Department reported six slideoffs from 8:43 a.m. to 2:54 p.m., including two early-morning incidents on I-90 and more at North Fourth Street and Garden Avenue, North Fourth Street and Foster Avenue, Government Way and Neider Avenue and Neider and U.S. Highway 95.

"The usual tips for winter road conditions always need repeating," said Teresa Baker, public information officer for ISP. "We ask drivers to slow down and give themselves plenty of room between them and the vehicle in front of them."

Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Lt. Stu Miller reported that KCSO responded Friday to one vehicle versus deer collision and no slideoffs by 2 p.m., "however, I can't say that it will stay that way with the snow coming down," he said.

Miller said the KCSO dispatch center had fielded 14 vehicle collision calls since 8 a.m., mostly on I-90, U.S. Highway 41 and Highway 95.

"As for driving in winter conditions - slow down and increase the following distance," Miller advised. "There was already hard-packed snow and ice on a lot of side roads. With new snow coming down, it will increase the amount of stopping and turning distances needed. If you don't have to go out, stay inside. If you do go out, be prepared for winter conditions."

The weather service foresees cloudy, patchy fog today in the morning with highs in the upper 20s and light wind later. About an inch of snow is expected, and the nearly 100 percent chance of precipitation means there could be a moderate snow accumulation overnight into Sunday. Temperatures will stay in the lower 30s and 20s through the weekend.